Charles c



@einen ,ftutreutmt' @frn CHARLES C. WOLFRUM MLLER, OF NEW ORLEANS,LGUISIANA.

Letters Patent No. 67,792, dated August 13, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREEGH-LOADINGORDNANGE.

T0 ALL WI-IOM IT MAY CONGERN:

Beit known that I, CHARLES C. WOLFRUM MLLER, of the city of New Orleans,State of Louisiana, have invented a new and improved Breech-IioadingApparatus for Rilled and SmoothBore Cannon, combining a new system offiring the charge by means of a percussion-cup placed inside thebreech-piece, so as to dispense with the `vent-hole, said breech-piececonsisting of two small cylinders joined together, the last onecontaining a chamber for the reception of the charge in a tin tube,thereby insuring great protection against the overheating of the gun byrapidiiring; und I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame,reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of thisspecification, in which-- Figurel is a perspective View ofthe cannon,with breech-fork set.

Figure 2, a longitudinal section of it, representing the breechapparatus with the charge in position.

Figure 8, across-section of the breech-piece, with the key orbreech-fork (of goodcast steel) in position, when the breechtis closed.

Figure 4, u longitudinal section of the first cylindrical breech-piece,(alsoof goodcast steek) of which Figure 5 is a top View, and Figure 9 aperspective one, with guide x.

Figure 6, a longitudinal section, and Figure 10 a perspective view ofthe second cylindrical breech-piece, made also of good cast steel, andin duplicate, for a change when tiring.

Figure 7, a longitudinal section of the tin cartridge-box.

Figure 8, the shot.

The breech-fork` as shown in fig. 3, ts exactly and closely the mortiseaof the first breech-piece, and passes through a nicely-fittingaperture, cut with great precision in the cannon, down to the lower`endof. the mortise. Its thickness depends on the calibre oithecannon.-v The breech-piece A is provided with two shoulders,

Vo, the inner one of which fits against a corresponding shoulder in thechamber. A three-sided neck, B, is left between the two shoulders, whichis straddled or encompassed by the key or breech-fork C, whose legsreach down to the bottom of the breech-pl`ug A.4 It willv beseen thatall the parte being angular, they will lit snugly together, and thebreeclbplug be firmly secured in place. There is a piston, b, whichpasses through the middle of the first breech-piece, ending in aconical-shaped head, c, to explode the percussion-cap with, and fittingclosely a conical aperture in the breech-piece of same size, .the wholeheld in position and closed by a spiral wire,f, which rests on thebreech-screwA h of the first breech-piece, and on the small knob g, atthe other endof the piston, where it is screwed on, and which receivesthe blow 'of the hammer for the explosion of the cap, the pistonresuming its position before the latter occurs, or at least at the sametime. The large knob of the cascabel, through which the piston passes,instead of being castmay be made of light material, yet substantial; itis screwed on the above breech-screw 7L. The top of the firstbreech-piece, iig. 4, is formed by acylindrioal opening or recess, c7,with two notches, e, and corresponding groove around thebottom of therecess deep enough for the admission of the neckl t' of the secondbreech-piece, iig. 6, on which there are two corresponding gudgeons, l,fitting exactly the notches and the groove just described, into whichthey are inserted, when the two breech-pieces are joined together andsecured by half a turn, the gudgeons being then arrested by a steelpoint fixed near one of the notches. The neck t' is holloWed-out, andcontains the nipple k for the reception of the percussion-cap, whichcommunicates the lire in a direct linethrough a small vent-hole, drilledthrough the second breech-piece, to the chamber n, with the tincartridge-box, having a similar small hole at its bottom, so as to allowdirect access ofthe iire to the powder. The chamber or secondary piece Dcan be constantly changed during action, and thus prevent the rapidpropagation of heat by quick firing.

The bore ofthe cannon, where the riding begins, (which is hexagonal,very shallow, and has one turn in forty inches,) is smoothed out aboutfour inches long for the closer admission of so much of the tin tube asremains outside the chamber, and also of the shot, encircled by a leadenband or ring, reaching aboutv the middle of the shot and closely ttingthe sides of the smoothed-out recess, tapering towards the end of theshot before it enters the rlling. At the bottom of the shot, havingttheusual conicalcavityof the Enfield rifle ball, which is also plugged by awooden plug, there is a small rim fitting exactly the cartridge-box ortube, into which it is inserted after a well. greased wad on top of thepowder. This arrangement with the-leadenhand around the shot, filling upall the interstices of the rfling through which it is forced, mustnecessarily destroy all windage when the piece is fired, and securesteadiness and precision to the shot. For the better security of thebreechfork, when travelling or otherwise, a steel bolt is passed throughit and the breech in an oblique direction.

The loading and firing of this cannon are executed in seven movements,as follows: first movement, lift out the breech-fork; second movement,haul out the breoelrpioce and present it, by half a turn of the body, tothe nextcannonier, who, third movement, unfastens, by half a turn of thepiece, the second breech-piece, which he hands over to his nextcompanion, from whom, after having cleaned with a small steel brush therecess of the first, he receives the already loaded and primed duplicateof the second breech-piece, which, fourth movement, lle inserts in thefirst one, and sceures'it by half a turn of it; fifth movement, thewhole is inserted again into thc cannon; sixth movement, replace thebreech-fork, and fasten with the bolt; seventh movement, fire the chargeby a blow of the hammer on the piston-knob. During the movements two,three, and four, the spongestalf is run through the bore and the piecepointed.

I am aware of the sundry eontrivanees already in use for the closing ofthe breech in breech-loading cannon by screws, Ste., of the employmentof percussion-caps and primers outside on top of the vent-hole, and alsoof tin tubes for cartridges in small fire-arms as well as cannon; butwhat I claim as my invention, and which I desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. The breech-plug A, provided with shoulders o o, leaving anangular Vneck straddled by the key C, and receiving the spring plungerb, and having its inner end grooved, or a shoulder to teck withcartridge-plug D, when constructed and operating substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with the above, the key C straddlingthe neck B of theplug A, between its shoulders o, to the base thereof, and operatingsubstantially as described for the purpose specified.

CHS. C. WOLFRUM MLLER.

Witnesses:

C. F. Hurrr,v Jes. FURNEAUX.

